Gou Xi glanced at Wang Mi’s great army but didn’t immediately leave. Instead, he ordered, “Select ten thousand men to follow me into the city.”
“Yes!” Gou Chun looked at Zhao Hanzhang across from him and went to select troops.
Zhao Hanzhang was also willing to give him time, so she smiled and nodded at Gou Xi before turning to look at Zhang Tao directly opposite.
She clapped her hands, and Zeng Yue brought forward a box.
Zhao Hanzhang said, “General Zhang, this is your General Wang’s head. I’m returning it to you.”
She continued, “From now on, may we each take care of ourselves.”
Zhang Tao’s face flushed red with anger. He pointed his long spear at Zhao Hanzhang, “Zhao Hanzhang, you wrongfully killed our general—this enmity cannot coexist under the same sky!”
Zhao Hanzhang: “I am a Jin minister, he was a Han traitor. My killing him was heaven’s justice and earth’s principle!”
“Nonsense! You clearly tried to persuade our general to submit to the Jin Emperor. You went back on your word—how disgraceful for someone from a noble family!”
Zhao Hanzhang: “Since he surrendered to His Majesty, he became a Jin minister. As a Jin minister who disrespected the Emperor and attempted to manipulate the Son of Heaven to command the lords—anyone may execute him!”
In any case, no matter how one put it, Wang Mi deserved to die.
Unless she truly couldn’t find an excuse, she wouldn’t let her reputation for righteousness be damaged.
“You!”
Zhao Hanzhang asked Zhang Tao bluntly, “This head—will you accept it or not?”
Zhang Tao instantly tightened his grip on the reins. He couldn’t determine whether Zhao Hanzhang truly meant to return the head or wanted to use this opportunity to kill him.
But Wang Mi had governed the army strictly. If he didn’t accept, it would be very difficult to control these thirty thousand men.
Zhao Hanzhang said leisurely, “General Zhang, it’s been five days since Shi Le intercepted the Prince of Donghai. Where has he been these five days?”
“From Yuzhou heading north is Bingzhou. He fears my ambush on the road, so he’s taking a detour through Bingzhou. But who knows if southern Bingzhou is still well now?”
Zhang Tao’s expression changed drastically.
Bingzhou was also vast, with its internal forces divided into three parts. The south was under Wang Mi’s control, the center—Jinyang—was firmly held by Liu Kun, and from Jinyang outward and northward was in Liu Yuan’s hands.
With Wang Mi dead, not only would Liu Yuan probably want to grasp all of Bingzhou, but Shi Le wouldn’t be willing to give it up either, would he?
Zhang Tao gritted his teeth and dismounted, walking toward Zhao Hanzhang.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled faintly and pointed forward. Zeng Yue also stepped forward with the box.
The two met in the middle. Zeng Yue opened the box to show him the head inside. After confirming it was Wang Mi, he handed the box to him.
Then he retreated several steps, turned, and walked away.
Zhang Tao gripped the box tightly in his hands. Seeing the Zhao family army across from him all silently watching without any intention to shoot him, he slowly backed away.
He had only retreated two steps when an arrow flew from the side. He reacted swiftly, spinning to dodge it. The arrow struck hard into the ground. His pupils contracted as he immediately looked up at Zhao Hanzhang.
Zhao Hanzhang’s expression also changed. She immediately raised her hand to give orders. The flag bearer sent signals, and the Zhao family army archers immediately stepped forward, all aiming at Gou Xi’s troops.
Mi Ce’s great army behind them did the same.
Gou Xi’s expression darkened as he shouted loudly, “General Zhao, what is the meaning of this?”
Zhao Hanzhang said coldly, “That question should be mine to ask General Gou, shouldn’t it? Mi Ce!”
“Yes!” Mi Ce turned and shouted at his men, “Who shot that arrow? Drag him out for me!”
Soon someone dragged out an already-dead soldier. Judging from the black blood at the corners of his mouth, he had taken poison to commit suicide.
Zhao Hanzhang gave a cold laugh and said loudly, “I’ll say this plainly—today, whoever dares attack Wang Mi’s great army is my enemy, Zhao Hanzhang. And regardless of truth or falsehood, I’ll blame it all on General Gou!”
“You!” Gou Xi was so angry he nearly died. “What evidence do you have to make such a judgment?”
“I have no evidence. I simply choose to make this judgment. Let’s see who else dares shoot cold arrows!” Zhao Hanzhang said, “Wang Mi has already faced justice. I don’t want to wage more war. But if someone doesn’t know their place and insists I fight, I don’t mind dragging the troublemaker down with me. This world is already rotten anyway—I don’t mind making it more rotten. Come at me if you dare!”
Seeing Zhao Hanzhang with a hint of madness in her expression, those lurking in various armies with restless intentions immediately dared not move.
Gou Xi also suppressed his anger and raised his hand to stop the movements of his great army behind him.
Zhang Tao stood in the middle, pausing for a moment before slowly retreating, clutching the box as he returned to the front of his army.
He leaped onto his horse and, after looking at Zhao Hanzhang from afar, said, “Zhao Hanzhang, though you saved my life, I will not forget my lord’s enmity. When the opportunity comes, I will kill you to avenge my lord!”
Zhao Hanzhang replied, “Come whenever you wish!”
Zhang Tao then jerked the reins and shouted, “We’re leaving!”
Zhang Tao led the thirty thousand troops away.
Gou Chun watched dumbfounded, with indescribable fury. “He just left like that? Coward! He has thirty thousand men and doesn’t dare shoot even one arrow. With this, he talks of avenging Wang Mi?”
Gou Xi could bear it no longer. He turned and slapped him across the face, his gaze dark. “Did you have someone shoot that arrow?”
Gou Chun’s face hurt and felt numb, but he dared not move. He lowered his head, “Elder brother, I did this for your good. Zhao Hanzhang entered the palace first, seizing the advantage. With Beigong Chun, such a fierce general by her side, if we don’t diminish some of her forces outside the city, I fear…”
“Did you diminish any?” Gou Xi lowered his voice to shout, “Originally Zhang Tao didn’t want to retreat. With that arrow you shot, you instead achieved her goal. You’ve suffered losses at her hands several times—have you still not learned to act cautiously?”
Gou Xi looked at him with disgust, “You’ve grown old in vain. Not only can you not compare to Zhao Hanzhang, you can’t even match the strategists and generals around her!”
Gou Chun was scolded until his face was bright red, nearly dripping blood.
But Gou Xi had always been this way—fair and upright, never sparing feelings when speaking. Now his temperament had changed somewhat, no longer so principled, but his speech remained just as blunt.
With Zhang Tao’s departure with his great army, only Zhao Hanzhang’s and Gou Xi’s two forces remained in the vast western suburbs.
Without other concerns, Zhao Hanzhang kept her word. She waved her hand, having people put away their bows and arrows, clearing the way to invite Gou Xi into the city.
Gou Xi took a deep breath to calm his anger, then forced a smile at the distant Zhao Hanzhang. He led the ten thousand selected troops forward.
Gou Xi led his great army before Zhao Hanzhang but didn’t immediately enter the city. Instead, he clasped his hands, “General Zhao, Central Secretary Fu, let’s go together. Oh yes, and Young Master Fu.”
Fu Zhi nodded to Zhao Hanzhang. Very readily, he rode to the very center. Zhao Hanzhang and Gou Xi rode on his left and right respectively.
Inside the city, there wasn’t a single common person—all were soldiers. Therefore the roads were spacious and unobstructed.
Gou Xi looked all the way and couldn’t help sighing to Zhao Hanzhang, “General Zhao has such great courage to actually relocate all of Luoyang’s common people. In all the world, only General Zhao could accomplish such a feat, no?”
“If Luoyang hadn’t already been nine-tenths empty when I entered, I might have believed General Gou’s flattery,” she said. “There weren’t many people to begin with—what difficulty was there in relocating them?”
“But General Gou is truly impressive, arriving so opportunely. I had just killed Wang Mi and rescued His Majesty when you arrived with your great army. Those who don’t know might think you were hiding in the shadows, specifically timing your appearance.”